The premier volunteer band of North Central Florida

Director

Professor R. Gary Langford

R. Gary Langford is Professor of Music Emeritus at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He came to the University in 1971 as Assistant Director of Bands and Professor of Trumpet. He received the Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., and the Master of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from the University of North Texas where he was a member and soloist with the famed One O’Clock (Jazz) Lab Band. He also was principal trumpet in the UNT Orchestra and performed extensively with the UNT Brass Quintet. His responsibilities at the University of Florida have included Concert Band, Jazz Band, Marching Band, teaching in the areas of Music History and Music Theory, and also served as the Assistant Director of the School of Music until his retirement in 2007. In 1996, having completed 25 years with the UF Marching Band, the “Pride of the Sunshine”, the last 10 as its director, he “retired” from that position to devote more time to administration and the jazz program. Mr. Langford is an accomplished arranger with over 400 arrangements for marching band tailored for the “Pride of the Sunshine” and the Swamp at Florida Field. His published compositions have appeared in the catalogues of Hansen Music, C. L. Barnhouse, Carl Fischer and Columbia Pictures.

He has held offices in the International Association of Jazz Educators, Florida Unit, and was selected by that organization as the 1982-1983 Outstanding Jazz Educator. He has been honored three times by the University of Florida as the Teacher of the Year from the College of Fine Arts, is a recipient of a TIP award for excellence in teaching and has twice been a finalist for the prestigious UF Alumni Association Distinguished Professor Award. In 1997 he was honored as the Musician of the Year by the Foundation For The Promotion of Music and was selected as the 1998 College Music Educator of the Year for the state of Florida by the Florida Music Educators Association. He has been recognized as an “Outstanding Educator of America”, been selected for “Who’s Who in the South” and in 1999 was awarded the prestigious “Distinguished Service to Music Medal” by Kappa Kappa Psi, the national band fraternity and in 2006 was selected as the Co- Teacher of the Year for the University of Florida. In 2012 he was named a “Jazz Hero” by the Jazz Journalists Association as someone who is an “activist, advocate, altruist, aider, and abettor of jazz who has had a significant impact on his or her local community”. Most recently he was inducted into the Florida Bandmasters Association Roll of Distinction, the most prestigious award from that association.

He is an active adjudicator/clinician and has directed numerous county, district and all state bands including the Florida All-State Jazz Band, the Florida All-State Jr. HS Concert Band and the Florida All-State Community College Jazz Band. Mr. Langford is also the Music Director and Conductor of the Alachua County Youth Orchestra, a position he has held for over 25 years. The orchestra has been a featured performer at the Florida Music Educators Convention and at the 2002 national convention of the Music Educators National Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee.

He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, Pi Kappa Lambda, the Jazz Educators Network, the Florida Bandmasters Association, and the Florida Music Educators Association. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Santa Fe College teaching the brass studio and Music Appreciation.

Director Emeritus

Dr. Gerald Poe

Dr. Gerald Poe (1942-2017) was appointed music director of the Gainesville Community Band soon after he retired in June, 2004 after 38 years of teaching, serving in that role for 10 years. Dr. Poe received his B.A.degree from Western State College in Colorado, M.M. Ed. from Florida State University and D.M.A. from the University of Colorado.

Dr. Poe taught in the public schools of Alachua County from 1986 to 2004. His jazz and concert bands were judged among the best in the state of Florida. Prior to teaching in Alachua County, Dr. Poe served as Director of Bands at the University of Florida, University of Colorado, University of Oregon and University of Portland, and taught public school in California and Colorado.

Dr. Poe’s bands have appeared on national television over 40 times, and he has had more than 30 published articles and recordings. In 1984, Dr. Poe was in charge of the pre-game entertainment of Super Bowl XVIII, which was played in Tampa. The show featured 650 musicians of the combined Florida State University and University of Florida marching bands. This is the only time two major universities have joined to present entertainment for a Super Bowl.

Dr. Poe is listed in Who’s Who in American Music, Who’s Who in American Universities and most recently in the 2004 edition of Marquis’s Who’s Who in America. Dr. Poe was active in Florida Music Educators, Music Educators National Conference, Florida Bandmasters Association, and the Association of Concert Bands. In 2017, Dr. Poe was posthumously named Musician of the Year by the Foundation for the Promotion of Music in Gainesville.

The Band was founded in 1974 with eleven members. In 1978, the Gainesville City Commission passed a resolution designating the GCB as the Official Community Band of Gainesville. With a current a roster of about 80 members, the Band is made up of teachers, professors, scientists, business professionals, students, physicians, contractors, realtors, trades-persons, and retirees.